(NEXSTAR) – Look, they can’t nominate everybody. But that doesn’t mean we can’t complain when our favorites are snubbed.
The nominees for the 94th Academy Awards were announced early Tuesday morning, and while plenty of well-deserved performers and films got their nods, there just weren’t enough entries on the ballot to give everyone the recognition they (arguably) deserved. Many notable names were absent from the list, including some who seemed like they were shoo-ins for a spot.
Which of the snubs were most surprising? Without further ado, here are the non-nominees of the 2022 Academy Awards.
Lady Gaga — “House of Gucci” divided critics — it has a 63% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — but Lady Gaga’s fans were optimistic for an Oscar nomination, especially after Gaga earned nods at the upcoming BAFTA, Critics’ Choice and SAG awards for the same role. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe (best actress in a motion picture, drama) but lost to Nicole Kidman in “Being the Ricardos.” Gaga was previously nominated for “A Star Is Born” in both the best actress and best original song categories, winning for the latter.
Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of “Dune” earned a total of 10 nominations, but it didn’t manage to secure a nod for best direction. (Villeneuve, meanwhile, was still nominated for best adapted screenplay and best picture.) He previously earned a nod for best direction in 2017 (“Arrival”) but lost to Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”).
Ruth Negga — Despite earning nominations at the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards (among others), Ruth Negga’s work in “Passing” was passed over in the acting categories. Negga was previously nominated for an Oscar in 2017, for “Loving.”
Caitriona Balfe — Just like Ruth Negga, Caitriona Balfe’s turn in “Belfast” secured her scores of nominations and recognition at pretty much every major film competition. But the Oscars? Not this year.
Leonardo DeCaprio — True, “Don’t Look Up” may not be as well-reviewed as some of DiCaprio’s other films (it only holds a 56% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes), but it’s rare that any of his recent roles are overlooked by the Academy. The last one of DiCaprio’s performances to be passed over for a nomination was “The Great Gatsby” in 2014, though he was recognized that same year for “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim — The coming-of-age film “Licorice Pizza” earned three nominations, but none for the debut performances of Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Alana Haim (of the band Haim). The former had earned a Golden Globe nomination, while the latter earned both a Golden Globe nomination and a nod at the BAFTAs.
Jennifer Hudson — The Academy loves a biopic, and we know they love Jennifer Hudson, a previous Oscar winner for “Dreamgirls.” But there wasn’t enough room on the ballot in 2022 for Hudson’s well-received portrayal of Aretha Franklin in “Respect.”
Peter Dinklage — He earned acclaim for starring in the title role of “Cyrano,” but Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Peter Dinklage wasn’t able to break into the best actor category at this year’s Oscars. His performance, however, has been recognized with nominations at the Golden Globes and the Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
Rita Moreno and Rachel Zegler — “West Side Story” already earned Rita Moreno an Oscar back in 1961, but fans were hopeful for a repeat in 2022. (Moreno, this time around, played an altogether different character.) Rachel Zegler, who played Maria, was also left out of the running despite winning a Golden Globe for the role
Simon Rex — Unlike a lot of the other films mentioned in this article, “Red Rocket” earned zero nominations at the 94th Academy Awards. So why is Simon Rex on this list? Thanks to his leading role in the indie flick, Rex recently won best actor at this year’s Los Angeles Film Critics Association — and he beat out Benedict Cumberbatch, regarded as one of the favorites to win best actor at the upcoming Oscars.
Jay-Z was among the artists on the shortlist for best original song (“Guns Go Bang” from “The Harder They Fall,” co-written by Kid Cudi), but he wasn’t among the final nominees announced on Tuesday morning. If he were, he would have ended up going against wife Beyoncé, who was one of two credited songwriters to be nominated for “Be Alive” from “King Richard.”
Ben Affleck — Despite his Golden Globe- and SAG-nominated performance in “The Tender Bar,” Ben Affleck was left off this year’s list of nominees. He’s still got a chance for a Razzie, though, for “The Last Duel.”
